“Good morning ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking, we have just begun our decent towards Brisbane where the local time is 5.45am and the temperature is a cool 10 degrees”. Shit. Wearing shorts, t-shirts and flip flops Dave and Lucy arrive in Australia totally unprepared for the climate waiting to greet them in Brisbane. After 6 months sweating their butts off, it dawned on the now shivering duo that they had neglected to check the weather for their arrival, and after leaving all warm clothing at check-in and Dave sending his trainers home a week previous there were plenty of odd looks from the cabin crew who enquired into our lack of attire. More pleasantries were in store for Lucy after passport control when a friendly looking dog came and sat down next to ... read more

After a couple of days enjoying Cherating's beach we headed a short distance south to Kuantan for a couple of days. Kuantan has no real callings for the tourist but it proved a cheap place to get a few things done before heading to the capital. We left on a coach fit for a King as Malaysia proves once again it is streets ahead of everywhere else when it comes to transport. After being dumped on the roadside our first emotion in Kuala Lumpur was disorientation, as there were no obvious signs that we were at our intended destination. After consulting the 'lonely planet' for guidance we found that we were in fact slap bang in the heart of backpackerville. After a small walk drab lodgings were secured and the local area was surveyed for the ... read more

We left Kanchanaburi by way of thai-style breakneck speed mini bus that barring any asthma attacks by our heavy breathing, heavily sniffing driver was destined for the smog filled, neon light strip that is the Khao San road, Bangkok. Back in Thailand's capital for the forth time it was instantly apparent why we had not looked forward to returning, as the thick-aired humid streets filled with women following us with tedious croaking wooden frogs reminded us that there must be more to this south east asian mecca than bloody backpackers. Our previous adventures in the city had been mainly limited to drinking outside the 7-11 and visiting all the main tourist spots and markets. We decided to look further afield and jumped in a 'taxi meter' to downtown Bangkok. Arriving under the Sky train in Siam ... read more

After a sixty minute flight with plenty of turbulence to give all on board a case of the willies, it was touchdown Thailand as we arrived back in the country where our adventures began. We had been away from the country for two months and after initial problems in Cambodia when we nearly turned back, we felt almost disappointed to be leaving Laos. During our travels through Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos it was apparent all along the way how much benefit we were getting though the dollar's lack of power. It meant we had spent absolutely nothing in the last couple of months compared to Thailand where the Baht holds well, and even with our eccentric splash out on an air ticket, our budget was not significantly dented. At arrivals we met a chef from Melbourne, ... read more

The trip to Vang Vieng took us through windy, hilltop roads that made the 160km drive seem to last an eternity, the first glimpse of the town was that of the sheer, tree covered limestone cliffs that dominate the region. Clouds hang low in the hilltops and the scenery gives an eerie feel to the sleepy, riverside village. The main town itself is tiny and dominated primarily by the T.V bars on the main road that house weary/ hung-over travelers looking for a dose of The Simpsons or Friends to heal the scars of the previous nights over-indulgement. The menus in most of these bars are all identical copies of the others, and contain a list of drugs that you can include in your cuisine, or you can order the 'happy' option that will result in ... read more